Crazy Cookie Dough: One Easy Cookie Recipe with Endless Flavor Variations!
Save RecipeMy Crazy Cookie Dough recipe is the absolute perfect blank canvas for all of your favorite cookie flavors!
Hi Bold Bakers!
I don’t know about you but I absolutely love cookies! Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, hearty Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, rich Peanut Butter Cookies, and gooey Salted Caramel Cookies…the combinations are endless! Since there are so many mouthwatering flavors I decided to create one Crazy Cookie Dough to fulfill all of those homemade cookie cravings!
Similar to my idea for Crazy Dough, which was one bread dough that can be made into so many different sweet and savory breads, I’ve created one truly Crazy Cookie Dough!
This dough is the absolute perfect blank canvas for all of your favorite cookie flavors. It has the perfect balance of brown sugar, white sugar, melted butter, and salt. The result is wonderfully decadent bakery-style cookies. This means no matter which flavorings you choose to add in, this cookie is perfectly crisp around the edges and chewy gooey in the center. Why make one boring batch of the same cookie, when you can make a variety of your favorites?
From the smell that fills the house to that warm and fuzzy comfort I get from knowing I have a full cookie jar, there is just nothing like a homemade, fresh out of the oven cookie. I can’t wait for you all to give the recipe a spin and make these cookies your own. Let’s face it what day can’t be improved by a truly delicious cookie?
Why do you need to chill your Crazy Cookie Dough?
No matter what flavor cookie you decide to make it’s really important that you take the time to let the cookie dough rest. After the dough has come together and you have folded in your add-ins, pop the cookies in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. I do this will ALL of my cookies. This allows the flavors of the cookie to marry and develop and also prevents the cookies from spreading. THIS is he secret to a crisp outer edge and chewy soft center.
How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let’s start with a classic! My advice for making the BEST-EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is to use dark chocolate that has been cut into chunks. Dark chocolate with a cocoa solid percentage of at least 72% is what you want to give you that perfect bittersweet richness.
How to make Peanut Butter Cookies
These are my husband’s favorite so I gotta throw this one into the mix. Use your favorite peanut butter, smooth or chunky, to mix into your Crazy Cookie Dough. For extra crunch toss in a few salted, roasted peanuts too.
How to make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
An oldie but a goodie, this classic cookie cannot be overlooked. Using ingredients that you would normally have on hand, toss in some rolled oats and raisins to your Crazy Cookie Dough and you will be delighted with the results.
What is a Birthday Cake Cookie?
Birthday Cake is 1 of my 5 a day! Seriously, I try whenever possible to throw sprinkles into everything!! To create a Birthday Cake Cookie add some of your favorite sprinkles and white chocolate chips into your Crazy Cookie Dough and enjoy the results.
How to make a Chocolate & Hazelnut Cookie
Do you have a tub of Nutella in your cupboard? Then you are halfway there to a Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookie. Stir some Nutella into my Crazy Cookie Dough, toss in some toasted hazelnuts for good measure and BOOM! You have a Chocolate & Hazelnut Cookie.
How to make a Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Very possibly my most favorite cookie EVER! Why? Because the results are like a brownie. Add some cocoa powder and dark chopped chocolate chunks into your Crazy Cookie Dough and enjoy the best cookie you have ever eaten!
What to put in a S’more Cookies
What makes a S’mores Cookie? Marshmallows, chocolate and Graham Crackers, right? Stir all of those bad boys into my Crazy Cookie Dough and you have an instant family favorite.
How to make a Salted Caramel Cookie
To make an extra gooey, chewy cookie that has a salty kick add in some chopped caramels into my Crazy Cookie Dough, top with a pinch of sea salt and you will be halfway to heaven.
Can you freeze cookie dough?
One of my favorite make-ahead tricks is to pre-scoop and freeze raw cookie dough. After the dough has been mixed up I scoop the entire batch into heaped tablespoons and place on a baking tray. From there you can cover the cookies in cling wrap and freeze them for up to 1 month. This means next time your sweet tooth is calling all you have to do is place the baking tray in the fridge to defrost. Once the dough had defrosted simply bake off the cookies as directed.
How to Store Your Cookies
No matter what flavor you choose, these cookies make incredible leftovers. After the cookies have fully cooled I transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature. They will stay fresh this way for 3-4 days, but they have never lasted that long around my house!
Get crazy and make these flavors and others including Sugar Cookies, Molasses Cookies & more!
Get My New Recipes & Videos Emailed to You Every Week!
TRY MY CRAZY CUPCAKES RECIPE
And don’t miss my new Crazy Muffins!
Follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest for more great baking ideas!
- Crazy Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (8oz/226g) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1¼ cup (10oz/280g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (6oz/170g) white sugar
- 2½ cups (12 1/2oz/355g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
-
2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie -
1
generous tablespoon dark chocolate
, rough chopped
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie - 2 heaped teaspoons rolled oats
-
1
tablespoon
raisin
Double Chocolate Cookie - 2 heaped teaspoons cocoa powder
-
1
heaped teaspoon chocolate
, chopped
Peanut Butter Cookie - 1 tablespoon peanut butter
-
1
tablespoon
peanuts
, chopped
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie - 1 tablespoon Nutella or chocolate spread
-
1
tablespoons
toasted hazelnuts
, chopped
S'more Cookie - 1 generously marshmallows
- 1 tablespoon graham crackers , crushed
-
1
tablespoon
chocolate
, chopped
Salted Caramel Cookie - Pinch flaky sea salt
-
4
caramel candies
, rough chopped
Birthday Cake Cookie - 2 heaped teaspoons sprinkles
- 2 heaped teaspoons white chocolate chips
-
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
-
Whisk both sugars in a large bowl and make sure to break up any large chunks. Add the melted butter and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute, until light fluffy and fully incorporated.
-
Whisk in one egg to the sugar-butter mixture, stirring until it's fully mixed in. Scrape the sides of the bowl with your spatula. Whisk in the second egg and the vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl again.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with the spatula to fully combined. Chill the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes to 2 hours before scooping.
-
Using a quarter scoop measure scoop the cookie dough base into roughly 10-12 cookies.
-
Chocolate Chip Cookie: Press your chocolate chunks into your base cookie and fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the chocolate chunks are distributed throughout
-
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the oatmeal and the raisins. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the oatmeal and raisins are distributed throughout.
-
Double Chocolate Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the cocoa powder and chocolate chunks. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the ad-ins are distributed throughout.
-
Peanut Butter Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the peanut butter and peanuts are distributed throughout.
-
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the Nutella and nuts are distributed throughout.
-
S'more Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the graham crackers, marshmallow, and chocolate. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the s'more ad-ins are distributed throughout.
-
Salted Caramel Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in the chopped caramels. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the caramel candies are distributed throughout. Top with flakey sea salt.
-
Birthday Cake Cookie: Using your hand make a well in the center of the dough. Add in sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Fold the cookie dough over itself to make sure the sprinkles and chips are distributed throughout.
-
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 375ºF (185°C). Place the cookies on a larger parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until you can still see it is doughy in the center but browning around the edge. Resist the urge to bake for longer as you will over bake it and lose that gooey center.
-
Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then enjoy. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
EGGLESS CRAZY COOKIE DOUGH: See my Egg Substitutes for Baking Chart and use condensed milk or flax seed.
TRY MY CRAZY BREAD DOUGH RECIPE
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
Have you made a recipe? Share photos on my website or across social media with the hashtag #boldbaker.
And don't miss my NEW Bold Baking recipes and tips. Sign up for my weekly email newsletter.
How many cookies does the recipe you have written out make? How many dozen variations can I get from one batch of cookie dough.
1 recipe makes 10 servings. As for variations, it’s practically endless as it would depend on how many you can think of putting into your cookie.
Could we use whole wheat in this recipe?
Hi Rida,
The results change when you change an ingredient in a recipe. Whole wheat flour is a great thing, highly nutritious, but it really affects a bake in a number of ways. It absorbs liquids differently to white wheat flour, and it changes the texture a lot. You can swap part of the white flour, maybe 1/3 of it with wheat flour. But generally, white, plain or all-purpose flour is used in fine baking because it works. See also this recipe (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/oatmeal-cookies-best-ever/) you may like to experiment with this one too 🙂
Tried the recipe…that was superb..thanks Gemma for sharing.
I love to hear that!! Thanks for trying it out an letting me know how you go on 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma! Bold baker from the Philippines here! All I have right now is salted butter, so how little should the salt be now? 1/2 or 1/4 tsp maybe? Also, I’m thinking about browning the butter as I’ve learned that it yields a richer flavor. How would that affect the recipe? Thank you! 💖
Hi Andrea,
You can use 1/2 teaspoon or if you are worried about them being salty then leave out the salt altogether. They won’t be though :).
Yes you can brown the butter. it will give your cookies a nutter flavored cookie.
Best,
Gemma.
Hi.
I tried these 2 nights ago. Amazing!!! But I am all out of butter until I can get to a store and I was wondering if you can substitute butter with oil… I have a craving lol so I can’t wait… I have never tried to make cookies without butter before but instead of googling I thought I would ask the chef if that’s possible with this recipe.. TIA
That’s awesome to hear, Mae! Thanks for trying it out 🙂
I do not recommend using oil instead of butter. That will not yield good results.
Best,
Gemma
I used the exact measurements and my dough was like cake batter. I’ve added 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal to see if I can salvage it. Let’s see what happens now.Lol
Hi there,
oh dear! Flour in different places behaves in different ways, though that would not account for a very soft dough. I wonder if you changed anything in the recipe? I will be interested to hear how this panned out for you. It would be important to chill this dough too, a warm dough will be slack and this will firm up considerably in the refrigerator. Do let us know the end result, the oat flour will not do any harm as an added ingredient, but the flour in the recipe is wheat flour and this is a totally different thing in how it behaves in a recipe, particularly in how it absorbs liquid ingredients.
I hope this helps, and that the cookies work out for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hi from a bold baker in South Africa! I really love your recipes, they are so easy to follow and always turn out great! I wanted to know if I should adjust the baking temperature and time if I am using a fan oven? Can’t wait to try these out! Thanks!!!
Hi Mishka,
yes! you can do that for a fan oven. The general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20F/10C. For some recipes it is good too to adjust the time, you need to keep an eye on the bake.
Thank you for being with us in your beautiful country,
Gemma 🙂
There’s a typo in the Ingredient list for S’mores cookies (regarding the marshmallows).
It says “1 generously marshmallows”
What was that supposed to say?
Oh I must check that out, thanks for letting me know.
It’s supposed to be 1 tablespoon.
Best,
Gemma.
I was so excited about this recipe:( unfortunately it didn’t turn out great at all, my cool were super flat, spread completely.
I’m not sure if it was theft that I brown the butter to give it a better flavour and it changed the consistency or the sugar ratio.
Next time I will decrease the amount of sugar and won’t brown the butter
Hi Paulina,
I’m rally sorry to hear that! Browning butter might have had something to do with it but maybe not. I don’t recommend changing the sugar as that will alter the cookies results.
2 things, chill the dough before baking and don’t flatten them out.
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma,
These cookies look great! Is it possible to make smaller cookies? If so, would I need to adjust the baking time? Thanks.
Mary-Jo
Hi Mary-Jo!
Yes you can make them around 1 heaped tablespoon and just bake them for around 8-10 minutes. They don’t need much time at this size.
Best,
Gemma.
Hello there! This was my first recipe from BBB and I loved it, Gemma! I am only a beginner and wanted to try something simple but delicious. My mom was a bit skeptical and she was worried about me being in the kitchen by myself… But now my parents are very keen on eating the cookies! My only regret is maybe not mixing the batter enough since I can sense bits of sugar in them. 10/10 would recommend!
Hi Petra,
I am delighted to have you baking with us. The best way to learn anything is by doing, experiential learning, learning by experience.
If you are feeling the sugar then perhaps reduce the white sugar a little, perhaps by an ounce or so.
Sugar has more than one purpose in a recipe, it caramelizes in the heat to crisp and adds flavor and color to a recipe. It reacts too with bicarbonate of soda, to add crunch and a little rise. Understanding this will help you to figure out how to make a change in a recipe.
Thank you for being in touch, I am delighted to know you are in the kitchen,
Gemma 🙂
Hi.. I have tried your recipe twice and both the times the cookie was super awesome! Came out so well. I would like to know one thing. Can we replace the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour? Will it have the same taste and proportion? Please suggest. Thanks!
Hi there,
I am happy to hear this Sumithra, thank you for telling us.
when you change an ingredient in a recipe you change the results. Whole wheat flour is a great thing, highly nutritious, but it really affects a bake in a number of ways. It absorbs liquids differently to white wheat flour, and it changes the texture a lot.
What you can do is swap out some of the white flour, perhaps about 1/3 of it, and try it. There is a good reason why white/plain/all-purpose flour is used in fine baking, it works!
see also this recipe (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/oatmeal-cookies-best-ever/) you may like to experiment with this one too 🙂
Gemma
cookies are sweet, they are easy to make given a recipe, they can be eaten by any age group but not recommendable for people in their 40s. they are best snacks taken with tea.
Can I store the dough in the freezer so I have it ready to go when I want to bake the cookies please?
Yes you may, that is a perfect thing to do with cookie dough.
Roll it into a log shape and slice and bake, or alternatively roll into balls, open freeze for about an hour, the pack into an airtight container to store for longer.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Love this recipe!!! The cookies are so tasty and this recipe is perfect for a little creativity and experimentation! Delicious!
Hi Nicole,
I am happy to have this very kind review, many thanks,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma!
I would like to make these cookies and I don’t have any eggs so I’ve read that you can make “a chia egg” however your chart doesn’t list a “chia egg”. I’ve noticed a “flax egg”. This is the only ingredient I have for an egg substitute and I’m wondering if this will work just the same as the “flax egg”? Thanks so much!
Hi Michelle,
yes, a chia egg behaves in the same way as a flax egg. The important thing is to crush the seeds, this is what allows them to become glutenous when the water is added. Same is true of the flax egg. I hope you like this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks, Gemma! How do you crush chia seeds? I would be using such a small amount that I couldn’t put them in the blender…..
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
if you have a pestle and mortar you use that, just as you would with whole spice. If not then crush them with the back of a large spoon/soup spoon, in a small bowl. It is easy enough to do this,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks, Gemma!
~ Michelle
I was so eager to try this recipe- my mixer was broken and I couldn’t afford to purchase a new one.
I did alter the recipe by adding more white chocolate chips and sprinkles than the recipe called for.
The cookies were a disaster. They were flat, hard on the edges and doughy in the middle. I ended up throwing out the last third of the dough as I didn’t want to waste energy and time one cookies that looked like mine did.
I don’t know why mine didn’t turn out, but they didn’t, so a warning to those of you that might try this recipe.
Hi Carla,
I am sorry to hear that this recipe did not work out for you. I am not too sure why either, though flour in different places can behave in different ways. I do not think it was the additions, they should have worked well. Did you chill the dough before baking? that can be a big help with all cookies as it tends to keep the cookies in shape for baking.
Other bold bakers have made this recipe successfully, I hope you try it again. Reducing the brown sugar can reduce the moisture in this too, you could try that. I hate waste too, I am so sorry you had this experience,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma.
I noticed the choc chip cookie recipe encouraged a dough rest of a few days in the fridge to enhance the flavour.With this is it best to have the add ins before the rest or just 1/2 hr before I bake?Or doesn’t matter.
Thanks,
Aaron.
Hi Aaron,
Generally, you will make the dough and add the bits and pieces at the same time, easier if you are making one flavor. For any cookie dough, I usually shape it in a sausage shape, wrap in baking paper or cling wrap. When I wish to bake it I slice it through, slightly flatten it and bake!
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma can i use rice flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi there,
I have not tried it but the received wisdom is that it can be subbed 1:1, so a direct substitution in a recipe. I think I would try a sample recipe, perhaps one of the giant cookies would tell you all you need to know. (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/new-single-serving-cookies/) take a look here. The usual difficulty will be in how the rice flour absorbs moisture/fat differently to white wheat flour.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Great cookies! I didn’t have any mixin’s and my daughter likes sugar cookies so I just made them plain (we didn’t have any vanilla) and they were great! I used coconut oil instead of butter and I used raw sugar. Thanks, Gemma!
That is fantastic!! I’m really happy to hear that.
Thanks for trying it out.
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma!’
let me start of by saying that your an absolute genius! these cookies turned out delicious! I made them for my sisters 18th birthday and everyone was surely impressed. I especially love the fact that there is such a big variety of flavors.
Love from Pakistan!
Yay!!! I’m thrilled to hear that, Sara!
Thanks for trying it out.
Best,
Gemma.
hey Gemma
you really are a cool chef … i wanna say that i used vegetable oil instead of butter and added a little more flour……………. still they were so gooey and yum.thanks for the best cookie dough recipe.
Aw I’m really delighted to hear that! Thank you for being apart of the community.
Best,
Gemma.
Can I substitute margarine for butter
Hi there,
sure you can. When you do this it is important to use baking margarine, not a tub one. Tubs of margarine are designed for spreading and tend to be too soft for many recipes. The exception being some sponge cake recipes.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma. Love your recipes. The best brownie one was to die for. Just one question for this recipe. If I wanted to make a batch of 1 of the flavors would I just multiply the add in x 10 and mix it into the bowl of dough then scoop and bake. OR would I have to adjust the additional add ins?
Hi Darlene,
Delighted you liked the brownies. Make sure you try the blondies too, they are amazing.
Yes, exactly right multiply you mixins x 10.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Gemma.
Can the recipe be used plain?
No added treats. Just a plain brown sugar cookie?
Yes Donna, you sure can do that. It will make a nice buttery plain cookie 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
Thank you
How are the cookies plain?
Nothing added.
Hi,
Plain cookies will be just the dough with nothing added.
Hope this helps,
Gemma.
hey Gemma i am down here in Australia love your recipes. would like to know how to do double of the cookie dough recipe, would i just put 2 lots of ever thing in and get the same result. Thanks from down under.
Hi Claire,
in theory yes! I think if I were to do it I would adjust the sugars, and perhaps add a little more flour.
This is as it is:
¾ cup (6oz/170g) white sugar
2½ cups (12 1/2oz/355g) all-purpose flour
If doubling the recipe Remove about 2ozs of the white sugar, and add 2ozs of flour.
This will help to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Do write the recipe out too and be sure to adjust every ingredient, this is where I make my errors!
Good to have you with us in Oz!
Gemma 🙂